One of my last swaps in moving towards a zero waste bathroom has been changing over from a plastic razor with disposable razor cartridges to a safety razor. I’ve been shaving my legs for a decade, meaning I’ve gone through hundreds of razor blades that have all ended up in the trash. Not only that, but women’s razor blades are ridiculously overpriced, with a 4-pack of my old razor blades running $16. Obviously, the most zero waste approach to shaving would be to forego shaving entirely, but that just isn’t my thing. So in an effort to shave money and reduce my waste, I ordered safety razor from Wowe. I ordered a razor with a bamboo handle that is both aesthetically pleasing and sustainable. I was particularly impressed with Wowe when my package arrived because everything was packaged in cardboard, proving their commitment to sustainability.

The thought of switching to a safety razor was a bit intimidating at first. I was used to a razor cartridge with multiple blades surrounded by moisture strips, not a single blade held in place by stainless steel. My experience, though, has been overwhelmingly positive! I would say the two biggest things to keep in mind with a safety razor is to go a littler slower and to 100% use a good shaving cream. I picked the D’Fluff shaving soap from LUSH and while I like it, I don’t think I’ll pick it up again since it’s $13.

Razor and D’Fluff ready to go!

In reading up about using a safety razor, I read a lot of comments about going with the weight of the razor. The description is a bit vague, but it totally makes sense when you have the razor in your hand and can feel the difference in weight from the razors we’re used to using today. The handle is definitely heavier and because of that weight, you don’t need to press as heavily on your skin when shaving. The single blade of a safety razor provides a much closer shave than the crappy razors sold by brands like Venus. This is supposed to be particularly great for people that suffer from ingrown hairs.

Taking apart your safety razor and letting it dry outside of the shower is key to good maintenance.

Safety razors require a little bit more upkeep than a regular razor to keep them in good condition. I store my razor out of my shower and disassemble the head after each use so that I can rinse off any hair and let it air dry. This helps maintain the life of each blade, saving money and reducing trash. I’ve been using the same blade for about a month and plan to replace it within the next few weeks. Individual razors run for about $0.20 a piece, much cheaper than a standard razor cartridge. I plan to keep old razors in a jar until I can dispose of them properly in a sharps container.

Overall, I’d highly recommend a safety razor! It’ll save you money, it’s great for the environment, and it just looks cool.

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Posted by:Claire Grubb

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2 replies to

I have one more replaceable blade left and then I am making the switch! I have definitely extended the life of the blades I had because I have been waxing for quite some time (but that’s definitely not zero waste either)